Mumbai: Actor Rajpal Yadav has been sent to Tihar Jail in connection with multiple cheque bounce cases, involving an outstanding debt that has escalated to approximately ₹9 crore.
The actor surrendered earlier this month following a Delhi High Court order and began serving a six-month simple imprisonment sentence.
According to reports, the case dates back to 2010, when Yadav borrowed roughly ₹5 crore from a Delhi-based company to finance his directorial debut film ‘Ata Pata Lapata’ (2012), which failed at the box office. To repay the loan, he issued several cheques, which were dishonoured, leading to seven separate complaints under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
In 2018, a metropolitan magistrate court convicted him and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment in each case, along with compensation of about ₹1.35 crore per case. The conviction was upheld by a sessions court in 2019.
Yadav appealed to the Delhi High Court, where his sentence was stayed in June 2024 on the condition that he make “sincere and genuine” efforts to settle the dues, which by then had ballooned to nearly ₹9 crore due to interest and penalties.
Over the following months and years, the High Court granted multiple extensions and opportunities for repayment. Partial payments were made, including two demand drafts totalling ₹75 lakh in October 2025. However, the bulk of the amount remained unpaid, and the court repeatedly noted Yadav’s failure to honour undertakings.
On February 2, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma strongly criticised the actor’s conduct as “deplorable” and directed him to surrender before the jail superintendent by 4 pm on February 4, 2026.
Despite last-minute plea, including offers of ₹25–50 lakh and requests for a one-week extension, the court rejected all relief .
Yadav ultimately surrendered at Tihar Jail around 4 pm on February 5.
The actor is known for his roles in films like ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’, and ‘Hungama’.
